Control
by Idrisil
Summary: "You like this, don't you, Hariel? Like having me kneel, brought so low, far lower than you managed that night I tried to kill you... It was why you kept the Diary after all." In the Chamber of Secrets, it was not Harry Potter who fought Tom Riddle. It was Hariel Potter. And she is an entirely different breed of dangerous. Dark Female Harry (Hariel) Read and Review.
1. Prologue

**_P_ _rologue_**

 _September 6, 1993  
_ _Hogwarts_

Hariel Potter had thought she'd known what her Boggart was going to be. She had thought she'd known her greatest fear was a Dementor. But it wasn't the dark wraith that appeared before her and the rest of the class. It wasn't the pale, freakish face of Lord Voldemort that came into being. Instead, Hariel Potter found Tom Marvolo Riddle knelt before her, looking up with wide red eyes and true fear on his face. She heard Lavender give a gasp of wonder at his beautiful face, heard Professor Lupin's confused snort at the lack of Voldemort, heard Hermione's half worded question.

But she couldn't pull her attention away from the teenaged Dark Lord, as he knelt before her with the dark gleam of excitement in his eye, that twisted smirk upon his face.

Somewhere in the back of the classroom, she heard Malfoy hiss about the Slytherin uniform the Boggart now wore, how he didn't know this student at all and why Potter was so scared of him. But Harry couldn't focus.

"You like this, don't you, Hariel?" Tom was looking up at her now, and that fear on his face was completely gone. Instead, there was a defiant twist to his lips, a knowing smirk, and his dark eyes -blue, she numbly realised, dark blue- sparkled with guilty pleasure. "Like having me kneel, brought so low, far lower than you managed that night I tried to kill you."

Confused muttering echoed through the classroom as the student body struggled to put together just who the Boggart had taken the image of, but Tom didn't so much as blink. Just kept staring up at Harry, who just kept staring down, just as frozen, just as shocked, as the boy's smirk grew into a devastatingly handsome smile.

"Do you like this face more? Does it make it better, knowing that I was just like you? That I used to get that same high, that same thrill when it all fell into place. That same rush when you achieve something?" And suddenly Tom was on his feet, eyes wild and grin haunting. "After all, that thrill, the triumph," he stopped, eyes bright and stood right before her, their faces mere inches apart.

" _It was why you kept the Diary after all._ "

.

 _June 15, 1993  
_ _Hogwarts Express_

Hermione was worried. After she had woken up from her stint as a statue, the bushy haired brunette had been informed of the details of Hariel and Ron's adventure into Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets. Between the two of them, the details of solving the puzzle with the clues she had provided, the retrieval of Lockhart and subsequent locating the Chamber entrance and they gave special emphasis to Lockhart's betrayal and deception.

After they got separated, however, the details were scarce. Hariel looked away, fidgeted before giving a brief summary of the events. It was remarkable similar to Julius Caesar's declaration, "I came, I saw, I conquered," with most of the specifics, such as how she actually beat Riddle, left out. As such, Hermione was worried.

They were on the train, leaving for another two and a half months and Hermione was trying to coax out more details from the Girl-Who-Lived, but she had nothing to show for her efforts as Hariel had stormed out of the compartment shouting, "leave me alone!" Hermione glanced at Ron who shrugged in confusion. Hermione huffed at her friend's cluelessness.

"Maybe she doesn't want to remember it." Hermione glanced back at Ron in surprise. Not in surprise at the insightful statement, as she knew Ron could be pretty smart when he tried, but rather her surprise was at why that thought didn't even cross her mind earlier. If it had, she would have backed down.

"Maybe…" Still, something felt off. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something wrong with the situation. Something that made Hermione nervous. Huffing again, Hermione stretched, removing stiffness from her legs. As she sat back down, Ron got up. Stretching for a moment, Ron opened the door of the compartment. "Where are you going?" she said. Ron blinked.

"Oh, right," he said after a moment, "just want to check on Ginny." He left, unaware of the soft smile on Hermione's face. For all his loudness and bluster, Hermione found that Ron had a tender and sensitive side. The top ranking student of her year closed her eyes and dozed off.

.

 _June 31, 1993  
_ _4 Privet Drive_

Hariel stared at the black diary in her hands with a guilty expression on her face. Her mind flashed back to the confrontation between her and Riddle in the Chamber

 _"_ _Let Ginny go," she demanded, holding the basilisk fang over the diary. Riddle was on his knees, begging her to stop, complying with her demands and following her orders._

And it had felt so _good_ to dominate him like that. The only time she had felt so in control was when she accidentally set the snake on Dudley before her first year.

She didn't destroy the diary. She kept it. Looking back, she wasn't sure what she was thinking at the time. However, she knew Riddle would understand. It wasn't as if he'd try to take control; their roles had been established a month ago. _She_ was in charge. He answered to _her_.

She opened the diary to the first page, pulling out a quill and ink bottle. She dipped the quill into the ink before removing any excess, then in flowing handwriting‒ the only thing Aunt Petunia taught her ('even a freak needs to know how to write,')– Hariel wrote, _Riddle?_ The word faded away and for a moment, nothing happened. Dropping her quill into the inkwell, Hariel slumped back in her chair. Then, as if it was teasing her, a word began to appear on the page.

 _Hariel?_ Hurriedly, Hariel sat forward and grabbed her quill. More words wrote themselves, _I didn't realise you had kept me._ Hariel neatly scrawled her reply.

 _I'm not sure why I kept the diary,_ she wrote, _but now I need to ask you something._ Riddle didn't respond for several moments and Hariel had the feeling that he would've been smirking if he could.

 _What do I get out of helping you?_ She could almost hear the smug tone and her temper flared. How dare he expect something after what he'd done. More so, how dare he expect something when he was a _diary_.

 _I don't pull the basilisk fang out and stab you._ She felt the same rush of euphoria from controlling someone as he hastily replied, _now there's no need for that. What do you want to know?_

 _Why did I keep the diary?_

 _._

 _July 31, 1993  
_ _4 Privet Drive_

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Hariel glared at the fat woman before her, Vernon's sister Marge, who had just spent the last ten minutes insulting her parents and comparing them to dogs. "You foul creature, how dare you talk about my parents like that!" Petunia looked terrified, but Hariel didn't care. She continued shouting at the sister of her Uncle, "my parents were better people than you could ever hope to be!" Without another word, Hariel stormed away and the slamming of her door was heard through the entire house.

Marge was just about to follow the girl and give her a good what for when her skin started to itch. The itch got worse before it started to sting. Soon, the sting turned to a burning sensation and Marge started screaming. Her pain was so intense that she didn't notice her body swelling like a balloon.

Hariel kicked her door, before slumping in her chair. She turned to the diary to vent. _Horrible woman, I won't let her insult my parents!_ Her writing wasn't as smooth as it usually was, but she was angry. Riddle replied promptly, not wanting to suffer her wrath.

 _What do you mean?_ Before Hariel could reply, she heard Marge screaming. The teenage witch was slightly conflicted, feeling satisfaction at hearing the beast suffer but horrified that someone was being hurt. The ecstasy of dominating someone overrode her conflicting feelings as she smiled, satisfied with the sounds she heard. She turned back to the diary.

 _The walrus' sister, Marge has been staying for the past few days,_ she wrote, _and spent the last ten minutes slandering my parents._ There was silence and no words appeared on the page. Hariel collected her things, knowing that Vernon would kick her out now that she lost her temper at the beast. After she packed most of her trunk, she turned back to the diary to see the last thing she expected to see.

 _I understand._ Of all the things she expected Riddle to say, that wasn't one of them. The dynamic between them since the confrontation in the Chamber had always been levelled, with her in charge and him answering to her. And she always enjoyed it. But these two words of compassion put the preserved memory of her parents' killer, if only for a moment, at her level. This gave rise to a strange feeling, one she wasn't sure she understood. Hariel decided to get Riddle to elaborate later, putting the quill and inkwell away and stuffing the diary in her pocket. She opened up her door and tried to creep to the door. Unfortunately, Vernon was right there.

"YOU BRING HER BACK," he roared, "YOU PUT HER RIGHT!" Hariel's temper reared its ugly head as her eyes seemed to flash and not only Vernon but Petunia and Dudley as well, found themselves being pressed to the ceiling by an invisible force.

"For twelve years, you've treated me like a servant," she said softly, though that just made it more terrifying to the Dursleys, "you've called me a freak as if you were the paragon of normality." The force increased slightly, drawing a whimper from Dudley while some of the china smashed. "Let me tell you something." Hariel's voice was little more than a whisper now. "I'm not the freak." Her eyes flashed again, causing more things to break. " _You are_." All of a sudden, everything stopped and the Dursleys fell back to Earth while Hariel bolted.

Stopping just outside Magnolia Crescent, Hariel all but collapsed on the sidewalk. She felt exhausted, but at the same time, adrenaline was energising her. The show of power that terrified the Dursleys made her blood sing and her heart leap. It was exhilarating. With nothing else to do for the moment, Hariel pulled out Ridd-the diary and posed her question.

 _What do you mean when you say you understand?_

 _._

 _August 5, 1993  
_ _The Leaky Cauldron_

Hariel was acting differently. Both Ron and Hermione noticed. Neither of them could put their finger on it, but it worried them. After they met up, Ron and Hermione promptly apologised for not writing as often as they could. Hariel accepted their apology and forgave them, but Ron couldn't help but feel like it was flat.

"Harry?" Ron asked as he approached her one morning. Hariel's brown eyes drifted to her first friend before they returned to her breakfast. Ron was many things, but ignorant was not one of them. He could tell that Hariel wasn't interested.

"Yeah, Ron?" Ron's eyes snapped back to his best friend to find the Hariel that seemed to have been missing for the past week. Her eyes were alight with humour and her lips were quirked into a smirk that was rarely on Hariel's face, but it was still the old Hariel. He must have been staring too long because Hariel giggled and said, "are you going to stare all day?" Ron grinned in reply.

"Sorry Harry, just thinking." Her lips twisted into a smirk again and she tossed her hair over her shoulder as she replied, "well don't think too hard, you'll break your brain." Ron chuckled as he fell into an easy conversation with his best friend.

.

Hariel felt her guilt return when she saw Ginny. The red headed girl was so very grateful to her, she who kept the diary that took control of the girl. She tried to get away, to find any excuse to escape the girl, especially when the offending item was in her pocket; she had asked Tom the innkeeper to shrink it to a pocket size. It was still useable and Riddle had complained about being shrunk, but it was a more manageable size.

Her saving grace was actually from the most surprising source. It seemed Malfoy senior had business in the Leaky Cauldron and Mini-Lucius was accompanying him, because Draco Malfoy declared very loudly, "Come off it, weasel-girl, can't you see that Potter wants to get away?" Ginny, mortified that the entire pub was now staring at her, fled very promptly with very red cheeks. Hariel looked at Malfoy in surprise. The teenage aristocrat seemed to look her appreciatively for a fleeting moment, but the moment passed so quickly that Hariel decided she imagined it. He walked over to her.

"Why?" she said, "why'd you do that?" Malfoy smirked as he stooped over her. _He must have gone through a growth spurt over the summer,_ Hariel thought.

"Isn't it obvious, Potter?" he asked before a smirk worked its way onto his lips, "the only one permitted to get a rise out of you, is _me_." He stepped closer. His voice became something akin to a growl. "You're _my_ rival and no one else's." There was something in his eyes that Hariel didn't like. His words ran through her mind as the Malfoy heir waited for a response.

"No one _owns_ me, Malfoy," she hissed, "no one stakes a claim on me, in any way." Malfoy smirked as he walked away. _No one owns Hariel Potter._ She _is the master._ Hariel shook her head to dismiss the stray thought from her head. Putting the strange exchange out of her mind, Hariel noticed Mr Weasley waving her over to a secluded corner. _What could he want with me?_ Hariel soon arrived at the side of the Weasley patriarch.

"Hariel, how good to see you again," Mr Weasley greeted, though Hariel could tell he was nervous, "have you enjoyed your summer so far?"

 _Right,_ Hariel thought, _I enjoyed getting tormented by the trio of sorry excuses for humans and having my parents insulted by another._ Her thoughts were not spoken though. Instead, what she said was, "it's been alright, Mr Weasley." Mr Weasley smiled, an expression Hariel imitated, though thinly.

"Hariel." Mr Weasley's tone caused the false smile to drop into a frown. Never before had Hariel heard the Weasley patriarch use such an authoritative and serious tone. "What do you know about Sirius Black?" Hariel blinked. That was unexpected.

"Only that he's dangerous enough for the DMLE to coordinate with Scotland Yard." Mr Weasley's eyes widened before he remembered that the Ministry had used it to make their forces seems superior; they made the muggle law enforcement out to be like children with wind-up toys while the DMLE was depicted as the pinnacle of professionalism.

"Well," Mr Weasley said, "Black was You-Know-Who's top supporter." Hariel, being a lot smarter than she looked, connected the dots easily.

"And he's coming after me for revenge against his master." Mr Weasley nodded. He grabbed her gently by the shoulders and looked at her square in the eye.

"Hariel, promise me you won't go looking for Black." Hariel scoffed.

"Why would I go looking for someone who wants to kill me?"

"Promise me."

"I promise, Mr Weasley."

.

 _September 6, 1993  
_ _Hogwarts_

Professor Lupin stepped between Hariel and Riddle, his face set into a frown. Riddle's expression soured as he soon twisted and shifted into a white orb surrounded by clouds. _A moon,_ Hariel thought absently.

" _Riddikulus_!" Lupin incanted, flicking his wand. The moon turned into a white balloon that quickly deflated while Hariel was frozen in her position. The boggart flew around the room until Lupin directed into the cupboard he'd brought it out of. The rest of the class was staring at the petrified Hariel. The brunette looked much like a deer in the torchlight. Hermione stepped forward to comfort her when, much like a deer, Hariel fled at the slight movement. She ran from the classroom and didn't stop running until she reached a small corner somewhere in Hogwarts that she knew no one knew about. Curling up there, Hariel hid from everyone. She was shaking. In an attempt to distract herself, the Girl-Who-Lived pulled the diary from her pocket. She needed to talk to someone about this.

What she didn't realise, was that three people left the classroom to find her. Hermione and Ron were easily expected, being Hariel's friends, and Professor Lupin, after dismissing his class, was fulfilling his duty as a teacher.


	2. Chapter 1

**_Chapter 1_**

 _September 6, 1993  
_ _Hogwarts_

Hermione found Hariel curled up, asleep in a small hideaway somewhere on the fourth floor on the eastern side of Hogwarts. She was shaking slightly; Hermione guessed she'd been crying. Gently, the bushy-haired witch shook her friend. Hariel groaned slightly but remained asleep. Smiling softly, Hermione pulled out a piece of parchment. She wrote a message to Ron. Then, she folded the parchment into a plane before casting a spell for it to find Ron Weasley. It was a simple charm she'd read about that the Ministry had designed as a replacement for owls inside the building; as wonderful as owls were, they really did make a mess.

Hariel mumbled something in her sleep and Hermione smiled again. The younger witch looked adorable when her face was eased of stress. Almost as if sensing her presence, Hariel rolled over and snuggled into Hermione's lap. The Shakespeare named teen blushed as her friend let out a contented sigh. She ended up staying like this for another few minutes before Hariel woke up.

Hariel opened her eyes to see the soft expression of Hermione before she realised how her friend was positioned. It didn't take long for the younger brunette to realise that her head was in Hermione's lap. Red-cheeked, Hariel shot up rapidly, spewing out apologies while the older brunette attempted to console her. Then, the most unlikely thing spilt out of Hariel's mouth.

"Professor Lupin's afraid of full moons," she said, leaving Hermione slightly confused, "d'you think he's a werewolf?" Hermione blinked, then she dug through her considerable knowledge base, recalling everything she knew about werewolves.

The first clue was the man's prematurely greying hair, something that only happened among magicals that were either involved in life-force consuming rituals or werewolves. Among muggles, it happened for other reasons, but magic kept those pesky things away from wizards and witches. Since Hermione was certain Professor Dumbledore wouldn't hire someone who delved in rituals like that, the latter option was likely the cause.

The second clue was the scars on his face. They resembled claws; no cutting spell, dark or not, could make marks like those. They must have been from a dark creature, and even then there were few that could not be healed with magic. It was almost certain. Professor Lupin was a werewolf. Hermione turned back to her friend with wide eyes.

"Professor Lupin…he's likely-"

"Likely what?" The two girls spun around to see Professor Lupin standing there with a grim expression on his face. Seeing the fear in their eyes, the weary teacher sighed. "Yes," he said, "I am a werewolf." He took a step closer, saddened when the girls flinched. Hariel was tense, her hand twitching, while Hermione was frozen with fear. The werewolf smiled and said, "good instincts, Miss Potter." Hariel didn't relax, but Remus saw the confusion in her eyes–so much like James–at his words.

"Do you take wolfsbane?" The question did not come from Hermione as he'd expected, the older of the pair clearly the more learned and studious one. It came from Hariel who's distrustful eyes hurt more than any others. However, Remus allowed a small smile to come to his face at her question.

"Yes," he said, "Professor Snape brews it at Professor Dumbledore's request." There was a moment of silence, before Hermione blurted, "and you don't expect him to poison you?" Her eyes widened and her hands slapped over her mouth as Hariel baulked at her favourite professor doing something so obvious.

"No, I expect Severus would prefer my death by his wand, not his potion genius." The bland statement left the two girls staring at him. The scarred man smirked. "Did you think I didn't notice his attempt to murder me with his eyes?" Hermione blinked while Hariel's lips quirked slightly. The werewolf sat down and told of how he became afflicted by his curse and gave an abridged version of his life.

Later, after the description of Lupin's life, Hariel offered a suggestion to make taking the potion easier, "honey doesn't have sugar in it, sir." They then left for the feast while Remus contemplated ordering some honey, before heading for the Headmaster's office to explain Hariel, Hermione and Ron's absences from their classes.

.

That evening, Hariel was informed that she was receiving detention for her absences that day. Professor McGonagall explained that the punishment was more lenient than if she didn't have a reasonable excuse. Hariel accepted her punishment without complaint and accepted her homework (reviewing the content covered that lesson) from the head of Gryffindor House. After flicking through it, Hariel picked up the one that interested her the most: Potions.

Despite what Professor Snape had initially expected, Hariel was _good_ at potions. Reading the summarised work of the lesson, Hariel made a note to beseech the Potion Master to let her practice brewing the potion. Hariel then reviewed the other two subjects before she decided to turn in early.

Early next morning, Hariel was shaken awake by Katie Bell. The older Gryffindor was one of Hariel's fellow Quidditch players, in the position of Chaser. Hariel herself was the Seeker, crucial to the ending of the game.

"Kay?" the brunette mumbled, "whattisit?" Katie chuckled at the less than eloquent question from the normally composed thirteen-year-old.

"Ollie wants us on the pitch." A short series of insults fell out of Hariel's mouth when she glanced out the window. Katie laughed as Hariel groaned and curled up under her blanket, looking out of it at the older girl.

"Do we have to?"

"Sorry Rhee, orders are orders."

"Stupid orders." Katie just laughed again.

When Hariel was thrust into the Quidditch team, the Chaser trio had practically adopted the girl, becoming big sisters in all but blood and law. Katie was especially close to Hariel; something about the girl just appealed to her.

"Kay?" There was something about Hariel's voice that made her seem so small and it made Katie worried.

"Yeah, Rhee?" Hariel fidgeted for a moment before she said in such a quiet voice that Katie almost missed it, "I'm quitting Quidditch after third year." To say Katie was surprised was an overstatement. The year before, Hariel had confessed that she didn't actually _enjoy_ Quidditch. She preferred flying for fun. Unfortunately, Quidditch players got _way_ too competitive.

"Okay." Hariel looked up in surprise, only to see Katie's soft smile. Considering the home life Hariel had, Katie wasn't surprised when the girl flung her arms around the Chaser.

.

Oliver Wood wasn't as understanding.

"What do you mean you're quitting?" He was almost frantic and panicked as if his chances of living had suddenly dropped. Hariel cringed as the Quidditch fanatic paced in front of her.

"I don't really enjoy Quidditch…" she trailed off even as the Weasley Twins sucked in a breath and the Chaser Trio winced. Oliver looked at her with a mad gleam in his eye.

"Don't like Quidditch?" He sounded as if she'd just declared the sky purple, grass silver and that muggles were actually aliens, "impossible, you're a Potter, it's in your blood." Angelina Johnson frowned at their devoted, and possibly insane, captain.

"Ollie," she said in an attempt to get the man to back down, "you can't keep her on the team if she wants to leave." Oliver ignored her, only continuing his rant. In the end, he ran out of things to say, settling for, "you can't leave the Quidditch team. I won't let you!" That was evidently the wrong thing to say because Hariel scowled and Oliver actually flinched at the look in her eyes. It was a look that promised pain and it was _very_ sincere.

"Listen here, Wood." Hariel's voice was soft but firm, causing the whole team to stare at her. " _No one_ controls me," she continued, "I was showing you courtesy by staying on this year, but I see that _you_ don't value me as a person." Oliver flinched again. "You value me as the way to victory. Well good luck without your precious _seeker_." Without another word, Hariel turned on her foot and left the pitch, leaving Oliver with Chaser Trio and the Weasley Twins, both groups glaring at their _esteemed_ captain.

"Ollie," said Alicia Spinnet, "we need to talk."

.

Hariel reached her dorm room and pulled out the diary. She was about to write in it when she stopped. Sometimes she forgot it wasn't an actual diary, but the container for the soul of Voldemort at sixteen years old. Placing the diary back down, Hariel curled up in her bed, not bothering to change her clothes. The Girl-Who-Lived closed her eyes and soon fell back asleep.

 _She wasn't sure what she was seeing. It seemed the dream shifted and changed every moment. One moment, she was standing over three faceless wizards and she uttered a word and one screamed, the next, she was running from a pale skinned wizard casting a green spell at her._

 _She was then flying happily on Buckbeak with Hermione clutching onto her, then she watched Hagrid bawling as he shovelled dirt into a grave with the tombstone reading_ Buckbeak _. Her friends and she were laughing in the next moment, then they were arguing._

 _Hariel then stood in a white dress beside a red haired man that looked suspiciously like Fred Weasley as Hermione walked up the aisle, then she was standing next to someone she didn't quite recognise but looked familiar as Albus Dumbledore was marched down a path to an archway filled with a mist-like substance. Then Tom Riddle was standing before her with a fond smile as he said, "well done."_

She woke up with a scream and Hermione was by her side in an instant saying, "Hariel, it's only a nightmare." Hariel had already stopped screaming, only sitting there with a calm stare.

"Hariel?

"I hate sleep." Hermione stared incredulously.

.

 _October 31, 1993  
_ _Hogwarts_

The first Hogsmeade weekend had arrived and Hariel found herself in the company of Professor Lupin. Due to Vernon kicking her out of the house, she had no signed permission slip and thus no entry to the only completely Magical village in Britain. So, Professor Lupin had invited her to have tea with him.

"I'm sorry that you can't go to Hogsmeade," he said when he passed her a teacup, "but to be honest, there isn't actually _that_ much to do there." Hariel smiled and accepted the cup. "I only have teabags, I'm afraid."

"That's fine," Hariel replied, "I've never had tea leaves before." Lupin smiled as he poured the boiled water into the cup.

"Sugar?"

"No thank you."

"Milk?"

"Yes please." They sat in silence for a while, just enjoying their tea. The pleasant silence was interrupted when Professor Snape walked in. He was carrying a smoking goblet that he placed on Lupin's desk.

"Ah, thank you, Severus," Remus said, "did you see if my suggestion could work with the potion?" Snape's lip curled. He stared at the goblet for a moment with his usual sneer before turning to Lupin.

"Yes. Honey mixed well with the brew," he said, "I am surprised you suggested this, Lupin, considering your lack of skill in the art." Hariel was about to speak when Remus simply laughed.

"It was Miss Potter," he explained, "not I, that suggested the addition of honey. I only wished to consult the resident Potions Master in the case of ineffectiveness." Snape's eyes turned to Hariel with slightly widened eyes, before they narrowed once more and his lip curled again. He turned back to Lupin.

"That would imply that Potter is aware of the potion and its effects, her aptitude in Potions notwithstanding." Was she imagining it, or did Hariel detect a hint of protectiveness?

"She and Miss Granger deduced it based on my boggart image. I felt it prudent to explain the situation, lest any misconceptions were made."

"Ah. If that is all, I would recommend drinking it soon." With another appraising glance at Hariel, Snape left the room. Lupin inspected the goblet, taking a deep breath before he downed it in a quick drink.

"It isn't delicious by any account," he said after a moment, "but it is significantly better than before." Hariel grinned before taking a sip from her tea. After she finished it, she placed it on Professor Lupin's desk with a soft _clink_.

"I know you didn't just want to chat, Professor," she said, "so why did you call me in?" Remus sighed, placing his goblet back on the desk. He rested his elbows on the desk and threaded his fingers. He stared at Hariel intently.

"I would like you to explain your boggart." The teacups cracked and Hariel's expression went through a drastic change right in front of Remus' eyes. Her lips pressed together and her eyes became cold and _weren't they brown earlier?_ Her eyes had taken on a violent shade of green, eerily similar to a familiar curse.

"May I ask why?" Even her voice was different, cold and held a dangerous edge to it. Remus sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking any fatigue away.

"I have already spoken to Mister Longbottom about his fear of Professor Snape," he replied diplomatically, "I believe that when one's boggart takes the form of a person, then there is something wrong."

"I expected it to be a Dementor."

"I expected Lord Voldemort. But neither of us was right. Who did it become?" Hariel was silent for a long moment, but after taking a breath she spoke.

"A memory." Without another word, Hariel left the room. Remus frowned as he cleaned up the desk.

.

Later that evening, Hariel was sitting on her own in the common room studying her potion texts and writing the essay Professor Snape had assigned the class, History of the Herbicide Potion. Hariel went the extra mile and also included a brief history of the individual ingredients and the trial and error that the inventors and later modifications that were made. Finishing her essay with a flourish, Hariel rolled up the parchment and tied it with a small green ribbon. Satisfied, the Girl-Who-Lived packed away her books, looking at their near unused state in comparison to the well-worn pages of _Magical Drafts and Potions_ and her own copy of _Moste Potente Potions_ (she had bought a copy while she was in Diagon Alley during the summer) and smiling to herself.

Perhaps in another life, Professor Snape's attitude would have put her off the wonderful art of Potions, but whenever he criticised her she had asked how she could do better next time. Every time she had nothing after his class, she would stay behind and ask him for advice. More often than not, Professor Snape would order her out, but sometimes he'd scathingly spit out a small piece of advice. Eventually, her work ethic paid off and Snape had stopped criticising her work and instead began to compliment her. He still antagonised her, but that was a small sacrifice for the praise he placed on her for a successful potion.

Her work ethic for Potions did not, however, impress the other Professors who graded her as Dreadful in her homework. She'd been passing over her other classes for Potions, becoming slightly obsessed with the subject. It took an intervention from Ron of all people to get her to start to focus on her other subjects, but she always put in that extra half-hour for Potions (much to her friend's confusion).

Hariel was brought from her thoughts when she heard thumping on the door of the common room. Getting up from the lounge, Hariel walked over to the door.

"If you don't have the password, wait for someone who does," she said and was about to turn away when she heard the voice of Professor McGonagall.

"Miss Potter," she called through the portrait, "are you alright?" Confused, Hariel pushed the door open, straining against the new weight. Outside, many students had crowded around the entryway. Professors McGonagall, Dumbledore and Snape were standing at the front. Strangely, it was Professor Snape who spoke.

"Potter, what is the difference between Wolfsbane and Monkshood, and what is the most common potion both are used in?" he asked. Unsure why he was asking, Hariel answered dutifully.

"There is no difference; they are the same plant with the muggle name Aconite. The most common potion its used in is the Wolfsbane potion, a reputedly foul tasting draught, though the addition of honey can make it bearable." With a stiff nod, Snape accepted her answer.

"It's her," he said to Dumbledore, "Potter, Lupin and I were the only ones to know about the addition of honey to the potion and Black doesn't have that knowledge in Potions."

 _So it was an identity check…_ Hariel then said, "what's happened?" Professor Dumbledore spoke.

"My dear," he said and Hariel felt a flash of irritation, "it seems Sirius Black attempted to enter the Gryffindor common room in search of you." That didn't make sense. Black was an alumnus of Hogwarts and knew when Hogsmeade weekends were. Wouldn't he search there? Hariel voiced her question. Snape looked slightly proud, while Dumbledore looked a little surprised. Hariel's irritation flashed once more due to the Headmaster underestimation her. The other students, as well as the four Professors, were distracted when Peeves directed them to the location of the Fat Lady, who had fled her portrait in time. Hariel shrugged and decided to gather her things. It was obvious they wouldn't be staying in their dorms tonight. She also gathered the essentials for Pavarti Patil and Lavender Brown while gathering Hermione's things for her. When the rest of Gryffindor returned, the three girls extended their thanks. However, when Hariel asked where they were staying, the answer of 'the Great Hall' was not comforting.

"How is the big open space with windows safer than a room that can consciously lock you out?" None of them, not even Hermione, had a response. It was a frustrated Hariel that was dragged down to the Great Hall where sleeping bags had been conjured. Huffing, Hariel crawled into one after saying goodnight to Hermione and the Gossip Duo.

Hariel couldn't sleep, so she lay awake, listening to the pockets of conversation that faded away as people fell asleep. She could hear the soft breaths of Hermione, signifying that the bushy-haired witch was asleep. Hariel was starting to get bored when she heard Percy Weasley's voice.

"The Prefects, Penelope and I have scouted the entire castle with the aid of the ghosts," Percy said, "we found nothing."

"Thank you Mister Weasley," said the voice of Professor Dumbledore, "you may return to your rounds." Hariel heard the footsteps of Percy fading as he walked away. "Severus?"

"Filch, Lupin and I have checked the secret passages that the students don't know about," the Potions Master said, "none of them have been disturbed recently."

"As I thought." Hariel was confused. Did Dumbledore really waste everyone's time by simply confirming his suspicions? _No,_ she thought, _if Black had gone through those passages, then we'd now know, Dumbledore wasn't wasting time._

"Headmaster," began Snape, "I thought I should explain my suggestion from earlier."

"No Severus," Dumbledore said, "I trust everyone in the castle, even Argus, to protect the students from Sirius Black."

"Please, Headmaster," Professor Snape's voice was surprisingly soft, "please just take it into consideration."

"I have considered the possibility of all of them Severus, even you. But I will not place scrutiny on the staff." There was a pregnant pause while Hariel waited for Snape's response.

"Very well. By your leave, Headmaster?"

"Thank you, Severus, you may return to bed." Hariel heard the Potions Professor snort before he stalked away. Professor Dumbledore lingered for a moment, before leaving as well.

 _So Professor Snape is suspicious of a teacher,_ thought Hariel, _but who? And why?_


	3. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2** _

_November 5, 1993  
_ _Hogwarts_

The subject of Sirius Black was suddenly considered a taboo by the students of Hogwarts. Half the school seemed to think that Black was going to jump out from the next corner, while the other half were suddenly suspicious that their neighbour was Sirius Black in disguise. This caused everyone being significantly subdued; even the Twins weren't cracking jokes and the Slytherins weren't being antagonistic for once.

Hariel was at her wits end because Percival Weasley had taken it upon himself to be her bodyguard, stalker and general unwelcome tag-along due to some deluded notion of responsibility. It took an intervention from the Weasley Twins to fix this problem.

After that, the teachers began finding a reason for being in the hallway at the same time and 'coincidently' ended up going the same way Hariel was. When she finally had a moment relatively alone, she asked Professor Snape, who had been assigned her 'escort' for the day.

"The Headmaster is under some foolish notion that you," he answered, "must be protected from Black."

"Don't I?"

"If Black was competent enough to defeat you, he wouldn't have been hindered by Pettigrew." That was glowing praise if ever she heard it. Or at least, as close as Snape got to praise. Hariel accepted the 'praise' with a cheeky smile and a twirl of her wand. "That isn't to say," Snape continued, "that you don't need protecting. All students need protecting from a madman like Sirius Black."

"Just not me specifically."

"Precisely."

"Seeing as you're here," Hariel said, changing the subject very blatantly, "I have a few questions about ways to improve the Proventus Draught…" And so teacher and student fell into discussion.

Hariel, escorted by her favourite Professor, reached the Gryffindor Common Room. Standing outside was Neville, who was all but begging the new Portrait Passageway, Sir Cadogan, to let him in.

Sir Cadogan was the replacement for the Fat Lady while her canvas was repaired. When asked 'why him?' Professor McGonagall simply let out an agonising sigh of exasperation and replied, "he was the only one who volunteered."

Sir Cadogan was most certainly _not_ an ideal replacement to the Fat Lady (at least, that was the general consensus). He was annoying and arrogant, often wasting students' time by recounting his 'great adventures', flirting with the female students and challenging the male students to sword duels. He changed the password erratically and they got more and more outrageous by the minute. Hariel loved it. She would play along with his attempts to 'seduce' her, sometimes even dragging her friends into the conversations.

Neville, who could never remember the password when it changed every two weeks, was completely mortified to learn it would change at the portrait's whim. Now he stood before Sir Cadogan, very tempted to beg to be allowed in. Then his saviour came in the form of an unlikely duo: Professor Severus Snape and Hariel Potter.

Neville almost shrunk under the dark visage of his greatest fear, but the image of Snape in his Gran's robes appeared in his mind. With that in mind, Neville stood firm and straightened his back a little. He met Snape's eyes and held them for a moment before the dark Potion Master gave an approving nod.

"If that's all, Potter," said Snape, "I'll take my leave." And he did, with his cloak billowing out dramatically. Hariel clicked her tongue as she watched the Professor disappear around a corner.

"I've got to learn how he does that." She turned back to Neville who looked a little out of breath. "Well done Nev," she said before turning her attention to Sir Cadogan. "Scurvy Cur."

"But for you, Milady," the knightly portrait replied, "I'd be a dashing rogue." Hariel graced the knight with a saucy wink as she and Neville entered the Common Room. Inside, Ron and Hermione were having another argument. Not wanting to get involved, Hariel sat beside Ginny.

"How goes Quidditch?" she asked. The youngest Weasley and the new Gryffindor Seeker grinned as she outlined her intensive training routine that Oliver had set her. Hariel noted it wasn't as intense as her old one and hoped it was because the Trio and the Twins had managed to reign the fanatical Keeper in.

"And thanks for the Nimbus, Rhee," Ginny said after she finished, "it's really useful for a seeker." Hariel smiled, accepting the thanks and offering welcome.

"I'm more of a Bluebottle girl myself," she said, "and I felt that the Nimbus was bought more for the Gryffindor Seeker than for Hariel Potter." It seemed that Ron and Hermione had stopped arguing because Ron came over and said loudly, "how come you've got Harry's Nimbus?" It was evident to Hariel that Ron hadn't heard of her resignation from the Quidditch team. Ginny grinned widely.

"I'm the new Gryffindor Seeker." Ron resembled a fish, and Hariel couldn't help but laugh.

"But Harry's the Seeker!" he shouted, "how can you be Seeker?" Hariel huffed.

"Honestly, Ronald," Hermione said from behind him, "didn't you know Hariel resigned from the team?"

"What!?" Hariel rolled her eyes, before opening her Potions book. She decided to research the Remedium Cicuta (ill-named as the main ingredient, Hemlock, was actually a fatally poisonous plant), among other things. She mentally recalled the ingredients she had available when her book was snatched out of her hands.

Standing beside her with _her_ book in his hands, was the ever present Percival Weasley. He was frowning at her book; he'd _closed_ it, he _lost_ her page! He was inspecting it as if he'd seen it before.

"Miss Potter, this book is from the Restricted Section of the Library," he said imperiously, "unless you show me written permission for your possessing it, I'll have to confiscate it."

"Percy, that's mine," Hariel replied, "I bought it at Flourish and Blotts last summer." That second part was a lie; she bought it from a much less reputable apothecary in Knockturn Alley.

"Forgive me if I don't believe you." He started to walk away when he was ripped off his feet by some invisible force. Dangling from his leg with the book in his hands, Percy looked fearfully at the witch that seemed to be responsible for it. Hariel said nothing, only smiling daintily and plucking the book out of his hands. She stepped close to his face, placing her lips near his ear.

"Don't ever take my things again," she whispered before she walked away. When she vanished from view, Percy fell to the ground. Fred and George started laughing and Alicia, Angeline and Katie followed after Hariel, but the rest of the Common Room was silent as they stared.

Word of the confrontation between the Head Boy and the last Potter spread throughout the entire school. Each time the tale was told, it became more outlandish. Hariel heard that she had turned into a red eyed demon that threatened to eat Percy's soul, that Percy was trying to force himself on her and even that it was actually a lovers' spat.

When Professor Snape heard about the event, he demanded an explanation. When she told him the exact detail, all he did was smirk and say, "should I be concerned that you are researching poisons, Potter?" When Professor McGonagall was made aware, by her trusty informants (she had contracted the Weasley Twins into keeping an eye on Hariel), she deducted points from Percy for attempting to steal a student's property and threatened to remove his badge.

When Professor Dumbledore heard the details, he called Hariel up to his office. As it was, Hariel was sitting in front of the Headmasters desk admiring Fawkes, the phoenix that saved her life in the Chamber of Secrets. Dumbledore sat at his desk in his colourfully distasteful robes and matching hat, gazing at Hariel over the top of his half-moon glasses.

"Why did you call me here, Headmaster?" He was cutting into her Potions lesson.

"I have heard of the disagreement between you and Mister Weasley," Dumbledore explained, "and would like to hear your side." Hariel had expected this. Shortly after her victory over the Weasley prat, Hariel had written in the diary to ask for suggestions. Riddle had warned her that Dumbledore would ask her for the details and then scold her for her 'violent' reaction while letting Percival off without even a warning.

"Percy Weasley took my book without permission and I took it back," she said.

"What is the book called?"

" _Moste Potente Potions_."

"That book is from the Restricted Section-"

"That book is my copy that I bought and paid for." Dumbledore didn't respond. Instead, he stared intently at her, the usual twinkling in his eyes now gone.

"Why would you have a copy of a book like that?" he asked after a moment. Hariel scowled.

"Because I have an interest in Potions," she said. Hariel was already tiring of the interrogation. She knew what was going to happen next, but said nothing. Riddle had warned her about Dumbledore's suspicious nature.

"Regardless, your reaction was out of line." Hariel rolled her eyes as she slumped into her chair. She brushed her hair out of her face. _I'll have to cut it soon_ , she thought. She turned her gaze to the elderly wizard in front of her. Hariel took note of his eyes, how they always twinkled when they met hers.

"I don't see the problem," she said calmly, "all I did was take my book back." Professor Dumbledore frowned before his gaze became disappointed. He sat back in his chair, stroking Fawkes absentmindedly. He wondered how Hariel could have changed so much in the last few months. _Perhaps I should've had someone speak to her about what happened in the Chamber,_ he thought.

"You levitated him by his feet-"

"I don't think you understand, Professor. He took what was _mine_. I took it _back_." Dumbledore flinched at her harsh tone. "If that's all, Professor," said Hariel, "I have class." Without another word, Hariel left the office, leaving Dumbledore to ponder the similarities he saw between a past student and Hariel Potter

The class in question turned out to be Defence Against the Dark Arts. Hariel wasn't surprised to not see Professor Lupin teaching; it was the day of the full moon after all. To add to this, Professor Snape was the substitute. This had Hariel almost giddy. After all, everyone knew that Professor Snape desired the position of Defence teacher. Hariel was excited to see what her favourite teacher would do.

Her excitement was short-lived when he said, "turn to page three hundred and ninety-four." She knew what he was doing. Acting quickly, she scribbled a note onto a piece of parchment and threw it at the dark haired Potions Master. Snape caught the balled up parchment without even looking and was about to retaliate when he caught Hariel's gaze. Her lips moved silently. _Read it_ , she was saying.

"Five points from Gryffindor for disrupting the class, Potter," he said as he unfolded the paper.

 _Don't, please._ That was all that was written on the sheet. Snape smirked in understanding.

"Potter, keep your opinions about Mr Malfoy to yourself. Two points from Gryffindor." He then turned and rescinded his instruction.

"Looking through Lupin's pigsty of a desk, I have found the notes he left to detail your progress, as woeful and inadequate as it is. Turn to page one hundred and eight and we will begin learning about the Hinkypunk, or as it is known here in Scotland, the will o' the wisp…"

 _November 6, 1993  
_ _Hogwarts_

The first Quidditch match of the season was well underway, though the weather left much to be desired. Despite her loud protests, Ginny couldn't convince Oliver to postpone the match to better weather. Thus, the youngest Weasley found herself flying Hariel's former broom in the violent torrent. The redhead chased Cedric Diggory, the Hufflepuff Seeker when he spotted the snitch a split second before she did. Diggory was a well-built teen whose skill as a Seeker was certainly not exaggerated. He gave Hariel a run for her money when they played. Now it was Ginny's turn to play.

In the stands, Hariel scowled. The weather was abysmal. She'd thought Oliver would have learned by now. Unfortunately, they were all forced to endure the raging winds and rain pelting down on them. The drums of thunder caused Hariel to jump. She shook her head and looked refocused on the match. Ginny soared back to the goal posts when the snitch vanished from view. Hariel narrowed her eyes as she scanned the field for the small golden ball. She jumped again when another round of thunder startled her.

 _Enough is enough,_ she thought, _I'm leaving._ With great difficulty, she managed to reach the edge of the stands and was about to go down when Cedric Diggory came shooting down screaming, "dementors! Hundreds of them!" Shoving her way back to the edge of the stands, Hariel scanned the skies for Ginny.

She couldn't spot her.

Ginny felt the overwhelming sense of hopelessness that the dementors made people experience. What she also so was the Chamber. She heard Tom's mocking laughter and heard Hariel's words. She also saw…

Hariel spotted Ginny falling through the sky on a one-way trip to the ground. She panicked. Disregarding the consequences, Hariel raised her wand and called, " _aresto momentum_!" She was dimly aware of Professor Dumbledore calling the same thing. Together, the powerful magic users slowed Ginny's fall to a stop, just inches above the ground. Hariel released her spell and stumbled, breathing heavily.

"Hariel, are you alright?" Hermione's voice barely pierced the haze around Hariel's mind when she collapsed.

Hariel woke to the face of Hermione Granger over her.

"Hariel, you're awake!" Before the Girl-Who-Lived could react, she was swept up into a warm embrace by the muggleborn witch from Crawley.

"What happened?" asked Hariel. Hermione pulled back and sat on the bed.

"You collapsed after Ginny was saved," she said, "but why? Was it the dementors?" Hariel sighed. She knew that she would eventually have to tell Hermione about her skills with upper year magic, but she didn't expect it to be so soon.

"As you know," Hariel began, "in terms of spellwork, I specialise in Charms. What I didn't realise during the year, was how far this talent extended." With a gesture, Hariel silently and wandlessly cast _wingardium leviosa_ on a nearby lamp.

"In the common room with Percy…"

"A spell called _levicorpus_ , taught to me by Professor Snape. Apparently, levitation comes easily to me. Professor Flitwick let me read ahead on levitation charms." Hermione remained silent for a long moment, while Hariel prepared to deal with the leading fallout between the pair over this secret.

"Teach me." Hariel's eyes widened at Hermione's words. She could honestly say she didn't expect that.

"Okay."

Hariel was let out of the Hospital Wing later that day, but immediately moved to Ginny's bed. The red-haired girl was still unconscious after exposure to hundreds of dementors. Hariel felt guilty, as it was her who would have been up there if she hadn't quit the team. Ron and the Twins had already left, but Percy remained, switching between protectively sitting by his sister and warily eyeing Hariel.

It wasn't for a few more hours that Ginny woke up. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Hariel, but the suspicion was gone before the brunette could notice. Percy was about to speak when Ginny interrupted him.

"Percy," she said in an oddly dull tone, "please leave for a moment. I want to talk to Hariel alone." Percy didn't want to start anything, so agreed and quickly left the room. Ginny's eyes narrowed accusingly. "You kept it," she said. For a moment, Hariel was confused, before she remembered what Professor Lupin taught her about dementors; that they forced people to relive their worst memories. So that meant Ginny had remembered the Chamber.

"Yes." There was no point in denying it. Ginny knew without a doubt.

"Why?" That was something Hariel asked herself every day. It was only recently that she might have figured out a reason beyond her desire for control. But that new reason wasn't something she'd tell the youngest Weasley.

"That's my business."

"Isn't he trying to take you over?" Hariel laughed harshly, before pulling out the pocket sized diary. Ginny flinched at the sight of the offending item.

"Of course not. Riddle knows his place."

"His place? You're starting to sound like Malfoy."

"Really? Did I start spouting off nonsense about blood and the like?"

"No…"

"No, when I say 'his place', I refer to his substance as a diary."

"You _write_ in it?!"

"We're done here." Hariel stepped forward until her now green eyes were right in front of Ginny. The younger girl shivered as those eyes met hers. "Get well." Without another word, Hariel turned to leave. Ginny sighed in relief before making plans to go see Dumbledore about this.

"And Ginny?" Ginny's head snapped in the direction of the former seeker. "If you tell anyone about this, the Chamber of Secrets will seem like a happy fantasy when I'm done." Hariel turned and left, allowing Percy to enter the room. Ginny plastered a smile on her face as her big brother doted on her. She couldn't tell anyone. She couldn't speak the truth.

She couldn't warn anyone that Hariel Potter was being turned Dark by Lord Voldemort.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 _November 9, 1993_  
 _Hogwarts_

To Hariel's disappointment, Professor Lupin had returned. It wasn't that he was a bad teacher, but Hariel preferred the imposing Potion Master to the ragged werewolf. Where Lupin was fun and aided the students that needed help, Professor Snape pretty much made them fear for their lives if they didn't do well. However, Lupin was pleased to see they had followed his lesson plan as 'woeful and inadequate' as it was.

"Well, I am glad that Professor Snape taught you so well," said Lupin, "I think we'll do a quiz." His lips twisted into a wry smirk. With a flick of his wand, the pile of parchment on his desk suddenly began flying towards separate desks. Soon, every student had a short test in front of them.

"You have ten minutes," said Lupin, "begin…now!" Scrolls were opened and quills were inked. Soon, the room held no sound but the scratching of quills.

Not even five minutes later, Hariel placed her quill into the inkpot on her desk, followed shortly by Hermione, Neville and Seamus Finnegan. Remus wasn't surprised to see Hariel or Hermione finish quickly, and Mister Finnegan lived on the Irish countryside, so his experience with the ethereal creature was expected. However, Neville Longbottom was unexpected. Silence echoed in the room, and Remus realised that everyone had finished. He felt a small twinge of envy; Snape had clearly taught them well. With a momentary pause, Remus moved onto the next topic.

"Page one-thirteen everyone. Acromantulas are our new creatures." He grinned internally when he heard Ron Weasley let out a small whimper.

 _November 11, 1993  
_ _Hogwarts_

 _There's something wrong with me, Riddle,_ Hariel wrote into the diary on the late Thursday night, _I threatened a friend of mine, but rather than feel bad about it, I was excited._

 _I was the same when I was young,_ replied Riddle, _it is a natural reaction for someone like you and I._

 _What do you mean?_

 _For your whole life, you have had no freedom, no control over it. Then, you suddenly have the power to manipulate others in ways you could only imagine. That power has changed you._

 _For a sadistic murderer, you'd make a good psychologist._

 _A what?_

 _You mean you don't know?_

 _Do remember I've been in a diary for fifty years and before that I was in an orphanage or a magical castle that was isolated from the rest of the world._

 _Of course. A psychologist is someone who studies the mind and how it's affected by things happening to it._

 _Interesting…_ There was a long pause, before Hariel resumed writing in the diary.

 _Good night, Tom._

 _…Good night, my lady._ Hariel read how he addressed her and smiled, feeling the familiar sense of power. She closed the diary and tucked it under her pillow. She still found it hard to sleep, her feelings still conflicted about the Ginny situation. Should she apologise? Or should she leave things the way they were? She was so confused. Her friend, or her secret. What mattered more to her?

She didn't want to give up the diary. But she couldn't just scare and intimidate her friends like that.

Maybe if she explained things to Ginny…

No.

Ginny wouldn't understand. But there was nothing stopping the girl from telling anyone except her own fear. Even the biggest coward rebels eventually. She would have to do something.

* * *

Ginny sighed again, even as she tried to read the same passage in her potions text for the fifth time. For the past half-an-hour, she had tried to focus on her schoolwork, but found it impossible, knowing that Hariel was being corrupted by Voldemort.

During her first year, Ginny had such a hard time adjusting, and she couldn't focus in Hariel's presence, so she avoided the older girl when she had tried to make her more comfortable. Then, the diary spoke back.

 _Hello Ginny Weasley, my name is Tom Riddle._ She had been ecstatic. Finally, she had a friend. Tom was funny, kind and understanding. He comforted her when she felt homesick, he told her stories when she was bored, he taught her magic when she struggled. He even taught her more advanced magic. Looking at the spells he taught her now, she realised that some of them were borderline Dark.

And then, he showed her his true self.

And she was horrified.

And now he was back and he was corrupting her saviour. And Ginny would not rest until she stopped him.

When she went down to breakfast the morning after she was released from the Hospital Wing, she almost reached the doors of the Great Hall when she realised that Hariel would be there. After the encounter the day before, Ginny was rightfully scared of the older Gryffindor. The idea that the girl she'd crushed on could sound so vicious, so cruel…it terrified her.

But she was a Gryffindor. She was courageous. She would…

Hariel was right there, smirking at her. And she was alone.

* * *

Hariel waited patiently for Ginny to walk down the stairs that led to the Great Hall.

She knew Ginny would have to go down those stairs from the Hospital Wing. She had already shooed Ron and Hermione in, telling them she'd be in shortly.

When Ginny spotted her, Hariel couldn't help but feel a small thrill at the terrified expression on the girl's face. She immediately squashed that feeling down and focused on the situation at hand.

"Good morning, Ginevra," she said politely. The use of Ginevra would put the younger girl off balance, allowing greater manipulation.

She had, last night, used Riddle as a source so she could craft a plan on how to deal with Ginny. His stint as her diary had given him unparalleled knowledge of the girl.

And Ginny hated being called Ginevra.

Ginny stopped in front of her with a scowl on her face. She was angry, at being called Ginevra…and something else. Interesting.

"Hariel," said the girl, "how are you this morning?" Hariel smiled as brightly as she could without looking like a fool.

"I am quite well," she said, "having a good book to read can be very refreshing." There it was: the tightening of her jaw, the clenching of her fist and the hardening of her eyes. Ginny was furious. But the slight quiver, the half-step back and the quick glance around room said that Ginny was afraid.

"You have nothing to fear from me," she continued, "unless you told someone…" She trailed off, looking pointedly at the redhead.

"No," Ginny said, her entirety shifting into submission, "I haven't told anyone." Hariel smiled, drifting to the door of the Great Hall.

"Wonderful," she said, "it was nice speaking to you today, Ginevra."

 _December 18, 1993  
Hogwarts_

Hariel relaxed on a small wall, watching as the eligible students for Hogsmeade were escorted by Professor Sinistra this time. Smiling slightly at the antics of Ron and Hermione, Hariel slipped off the wall and started walking away. As she did, a pair of arms grabbed hers.

It took her half a second to notice that there was two people holding her.

It took her one second to realise that these two people were Fred and George Weasley.

Unfortunately, it took Hariel all of an instant to escape from the hold and point her wand at the nearest target, magic illuminating the tip, which was pointed at George's throat (or was it Fred's?). The twins looked at each other with huge grins, before George pushed the wand down and Fred grabbed Hariel's shoulders and sat her down.

"Hariel,"

"Dear,"

"And darling queen,"

"Do you hate us so?"

"I think she does, oh smarter twin,"

"Such a shame, oh handsomer twin."

By this point, Hariel was getting annoyed and the twins noticed.

"Right, so we wanted to give you something," said George, who was soon followed by his brother, who said, "as a thank you for saving Ginny last year,"

"And at the Quidditch match." With that, the duo produced a folded piece of parchment. Hariel took it slowly, not really trusting anything the Weasley Twins gave her.

"What is it?" asked Hariel, "a ratty slip of parchment?" Fred smiled ambiguously, and suddenly, Hariel realised how handsome a devious smile made him. The girl mentally shook her head, a large blush spreading across her cheeks. Fred ignored that and pointed his wand at the parchment.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." At his words, ink began appearing on the page, much like the magic of the Diary. Hariel hissed and dropped the parchment, turning a glare to the twins.

"What was that?" she demanded, "some sort of curse?!" The identical twins stared at her for a moment, before exchanging a look with each other.

"No," said George, "just a map,"

"Though one could say the Map," finished his brother. Hariel looked back to the parchment with interest. She could see the writing that had appeared.

 _Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs_

 _Are proud to present:_

 _THE MARUDERS MAP_

"It's the secret to our success," said Fred, "these Marauders are legends,"

"in the pranking industry," continued George, "we owe them so much." There was a reverent tone to their voices that made Hariel smile. She hoped that one day people would speak about her with such a tone.

They already do, whispered the part of her mind that hated the Diary, and you hate it.

"What does this have to do with me?" asked Hariel. George opened the map. Inside was what looked to be the dungeons of Hogwarts. She could see a pair of footprints with a banner above it. In elegant script, the banner read _Severus Snape_. Curious, Hariel placed her hand on the map to lean in to get a closer look. At her touch (her hand brushed the banner with Professor Snape's name on it), the banner shifted. Instead of _Severus Snape_ , it read _Snivellus_.

While Hariel frowned, the twins howled with laughter. Hariel tapped the banner and it changed back to _Severus Snape_ , though a section of the map faded, allowing a blank box to form.

 _Mister Moony thinks that the map reader has no sense of humour._

 _Mister Padfoot concurs._

 _Mister Wormtail queries as to why Snivellus' banner didn't say as much all the time._

 _Mister Prongs replies that if they lost the Map, then no one would be able to link it to them._

 _Mister Padfoot thinks that Mister Prongs is an idiot and should have chosen Mister Moony to be in charge of the map._

Hariel frowned, not liking these 'Marauders'. If she guessed correctly, the Map showed everyone in Hogwarts, and these people wasted it on pathetic practical jokes.

"So, this Map shows everyone?" asked Hariel.

"Everyone," said Fred.

"Everywhere," added George.

"Where they are,"

"What their doing,"

"Of every minute,"

"Of every day."

Hariel stared at them incredulously, wondering why they just gave her a tool as useful as this.

"Why me?" she asked. George grinned and Hariel forced back another blush.

"We've already memorised the map," he said.

"And dodging patrols we don't know are coming is much more fun,"

"So we haven't used it for a few years." There was a hint of sadness in George's voice and Hariel clued on very quickly.

"If you had been using it last year…" she trailed off. It was obvious what might've happened.

"We might've clued on to Ginny's situation earlier." Hariel felt guilty again. Here they were, giving her a very useful tool and she had the thing that had nearly killed their sister sitting in her pocket. But it was too late to go back now. If she told them truth, she might not get this delicious map.

"We figured you could use it to keep an eye out for Sirius Black," said George. Hariel smiled at the twins, giving them both a kiss on the cheek, before accepting the Map.

"It's sweet, but you should've waited till Valentines if you wanted to romance me," she said, winking. The twins laughed, before they each took a hand and kissed it. Hariel blushed brightly, before slipping her hands out of the twin's grasps. Without another word, she left.

Deciding that a 'Ron and Hermione free' day was paramount, Hariel made sure to stay away from wherever they went.

Sneaking into Hogsmeade had been easy. But after only a short time there, she concluded that Professor Lupin was correct. There was barely anything of interest in the all-magical village. She ignored _Madame Puddifoots_ , heading straight for the _Hogs Head_. Hiding under her invisibility cloak, Hariel listened as the people in the inn got steadily more inebriated and their tongues got steadily looser. And then she heard it.

"Good friends we were," said one Professor R. J. Lupin, "and look how it turned out." A quick glance revealed Professor Lupin and Hagrid sitting there, sharing a drink. "Two of us are dead," he continued, "one of us an escaped convict and me, who only re-joined society six months ago."

"Ye can't blame yerself," said Hagrid, "I mean, how could ye have known?" Remus shook his head.

"But that's just it, Hagrid. I should have known." The werewolf hung his head.

"And then there's Hariel." Hariel's ears twitched when she heard her name. "I had the perfect opportunity, but I let it slip away."

"Now Remus, how could ye explain t' her who ye are? It can't be easy."

"It's torture, Hagrid," Lupin said, "to see James when I look and hear Lily when I listen." He took a long look down his firewhiskey glass.

"And I can't even tell her the truth," he said, "I mean, how _would_ you?"

"I don't know," Hagrid said.

"Merlin, I can imagine it now: 'Hariel, Sirius Black is the one who gave Voldemort your parents' location. Oh, and he's your Godfather.' Could you imagine..." He trailed off when the door of the Hogs Head slammed, splintering and causing the entire building to shake.

Hariel couldn't see anything through the haze of rage that encompassed her. The moment she heard what Lupin had said, she left the inn, while her magic started pulsing. By the time she reached the edge of Hogsmeade, it was impossible to keep it contained. So she screamed, letting all her anger, pain and grief explode in a blast of magic. She drew her wand and let loose every deadly spell she could think of – Tom had taught her quite a few – at the trees and everything that moved. All the while, her mind repeated the same thing, over and over.

 _He was their friend! He betrayed them! I'll kill him! I'll make him wish the dementors found him!_

She rushed back to the castle, covered by her Cloak. As soon as she was near the Common Room, she whipped it off and ran faster. She hastily answered Sir Cadogan and ignored his comment, before bolting up to her dorm. Once there, she pulled out the Diary and wrote, _Riddle?_

 _Hariel, does something trouble you?_ Hariel knew that this is what Ginny had fallen for; Tom had a remarkable ability to make you feel important. But right now, she didn't care.

 _Black was a friend of my parents and betrayed them to Voldemort. I want to kill him._

There was a pause.

 _Fast, or slow._

 _Agonisingly slow. I want him to wish he'd never escaped Azkaban._

 _That's rather challenging you know._

 _I don't care._

 _Excellent. Let's begin._


	5. Chapter 4

_December 19, 1994_  
 _Hogwarts_

Hermione was starting to worry about Hariel. After she and Ron returned from Hogsmeade, the day before, Hermione went to find her. She found her, in the dorm, pouring over books that Hermione didn't recognise. Occasionally, she would turn to a small black book, scribbling a note and turning back to whatever book she was reading.

Hermione stared for a moment, simply shocked that Hariel was studying now, when normally, she was waiting for her and Ron to get back. And she looked as if she hadn't moved for at least an hour.

When Hermione got up the next morning, Hariel was down in the Common Room, still studying those books with her little black book beside her. Hariel ignored her presence, muttering to herself. Hermione was actually getting scared.

"Hariel?"

No response. Hermione was about to try again when she was stopped the sight of Hariel waving a hand and the book she had in front of her launching to the other side of the room. Another wave brought another book before her, and Hariel continued reading.

"H-Hariel?"

This time, Hariel blinked, looked up and noticed Hermione and promptly ignored her and returned to her book.

Abandoning all propriety, Hermione reached for the book that Hariel had cast aside, only to drop it when she read the title: _Curses and Law; How to curse your enemies and get away with it._

Hermione looked at her friend in shock, before using the newfound skills she learned from Hariel to force the girl's current book shut.

"Hariel Lily Potter!"

Hariel jerked up and Hermione saw something she thought she'd ever see on her friend's face. Pure hatred. And for a moment, the air in the room grew colder and the shadows grew longer. The light inside the Common Room, even that of the sun, dimmed and Hermione began to feel something more than fear.

Terror.

All because Hariel's eyes were a _very_ bright green that seemed to glow with power.

And then it stopped, and everything looked normal, though Hariel still looked a little miffed.

"What?"

"Why are you studying curses?" Somehing _very_ dark passed over Hariel's face, before the younger witch looked back up to Hermione. Then something broke, and the tears started to fall.

Hermione moved to comfort her, but Hariel effortlessly pushed her away with her magic. The girl gathered her books and left the room, leaving Hermione to gape from where she had fallen – a lounge chair.

* * *

Hariel let out a scream of frustration in the abandoned classroom she'd found.

How dare she interrupt her! Hermione clearly had no business looking at her things.

And to top it all off, she lost control and burst into tears.

"Damn it!" she screamed, letting her magic loose again. It was very cathartic, letting her carefully restrained power free. It helped release her pent-up anger and frustration.

"Potter?" The new voice drew Hariel's attention and she clamped down her magic and spun around to see Draco Malfoy standing there with a look of pure awe. The expression gave Hariel immense satisfaction and if it were a different situation, she'd have preened a little.

"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" she hissed, only to gape wide-eyed when a Slytherin girl, Pansy Parkinson, if Hariel remembered correctly, entered as well.

"Draco, let's find somewhere else." The implication immediately hit Hariel and suddenly, she couldn't look at Malfoy without turning red.

"No no," she said, "the room's all yours." With a wave, the upturned furniture righted itself and her books collected themselves before trailing after her.

Once she left, the awkwardness immediately fell away, leaving her wondering why she felt awkward in the first place.

It was certainly funny, now that she thought about it. Malfoy had come to the abandoned classroom with the intention of snogging Parkinson at the least and shagging her at most. But instead he found _her_ , Hariel Potter, throwing a tantrum and tearing the place to pieces. She was sure that took the excitement away from his intentions.

There was also the way he was looking at her. Hariel decided she liked it when he looked at her like that, even though he was spending his time with a floozy like Parkinson. The female Slytherin had tried teasing her a few times, for various reason, but after she had taught the tramp a lesson, there was none of that.

Honestly, Hariel thought that Malfoy was smarter than that.

But then again, all boys were stupid.

Except for Riddle. He seemed remarkably intelligent.

Though, all of this meant she would have to find a new place to practice.

 _December 25, 1994_

 _Hogwarts_

Hariel hated Christmas. Mainly because it was the one time she couldn't escape the Excited Mood Hermione, who degenerated into a child in the festive season. The fact that she didn't get any presents up until recently was relatively minor.

Thus, it was a grumpy Hariel Potter that descended the stairs. When she got down, Hermione was bouncing up and down like a puppy and Ron was already devouring the chocolates she'd gotten him. Of course, this prompted a rebuke from Hermione.

"Ronald, you were supposed to wait for Hariel and me," she said. Ron mumbled something in his full mouth and Hermione just sighed and sat down.

Slowly and methodically, Hariel opened her presents, resulting in a new sweater from Mrs Weasley (which was good, her last one was getting too small), a book on _passive spells_ from Hermione (that must've been a last minute addition), a box of chocolates from Ron (great minds think alike, and lesser minds can't help but imitate them), a packet of assorted prank supplies from the Twins (she had mentioned she was running low) and a brand new Bluebottle 65 from Oliver Wood (likely at the behest of the Chaser Trio) with a note attached saying _sorry_.

Oddly enough, it seemed that Professor Snape had sent her something as well; a Potions Kit for Advanced Brewers. To be honest, Hariel was flattered he had such a high opinion of her. She was browsing the book that Hermione had given her (after all, even passive spells had their uses) when Ron shouted, "how lucky, Harry! Two brooms for Christmas!" Hariel, despite being leagues more intelligent than Ron, had no clue what he was referring to (at least, until she looked).

Sitting just under the tree, just out of sight, was a wrapped broom. A quick inspection told her that it did not possess a note of any kind (aside from the one addressing it to her). This immediately sounded the warning bells in her head.

She carefully opened it, making sure to not touch it with her bare hands. When she finished revealing the broomstick, she dropped it out of shock.

A Firebolt. An honest to god Firebolt. And it was hers. Now, she wasn't a Quidditch buff like Ron, or a broom geek like Ginevra, but Hariel couldn't help but admire the beauty of such a broomstick.

It was brand new, with a nice layer of varnish that gave it a shiny quality. It was topped with a stirrup on either side of it, for her legs to rest (likely so she didn't slide off the end) and the bristles were finely trimmed and ended in a nice brush shape.

"Who do you think sent it?" asked Ron.

A loud scoff was heard from Hermione, even as the other Gryffindors admired it. "It's obvious isn't it?" she said, causing the entire house to stare at her, "well, I mean, who could it be other than Sirius Black." Hariel nearly laughed when some of her classmates flinched at the name, as if Hermione had said _Voldemort_.

"Why would Sirius Black give Harry a broom?" asked Ron. Hariel almost groaned at the redhead's stupidity.

She adored Ron, she really did. He was one of the few who stood by her in Second Year, when all the school thought her as the Heir of Slytherin. But sometimes, his single-mindedness was grating. He considered three things to be important: Quidditch, and subsequently, the Chudley Cannons, food and chess.

"Much the same reason Quirrel jinxed my broom in first year," Hariel said, "to kill me." She waved her wand over the broom, muttering a few words that Tom had taught her.

"There aren't any obvious curses," she said softly, "but I think Professor Snape should have a look." She was speaking to Hermione, but Ron overheard and started. Loudly.

"Why would you give a Firebolt to Snape? (" _Professor_ Snape," said Hermione,)" he demanded, "he's just going to throw it away." Hariel regarded her friend with an incredulous stare.

"Does my life mean so little to you," she said, "that you'd be willing to throw it away for a bloody broomstick?!" Her voice rose at the end, causing Ron to flinch. "I am taking this broom to _Professor_ Snape because he is an expert in the Dark Arts and could easily detect any curses that may be on this broom." Without another word, Hariel stormed out the door, leaving Ron gaping and Hermione following her. Fred stood next to his younger brother and smacked him upside the head.

"Well done, Ickle Ronnikens," he said, before George continued.

"You just made darling Hariel,"

"The future queen of the universe,"

"Second scariest lady in existence,"

"And wielder of one hell of a temper,"

"Angry,"

"At you,"

"When she has a Firebolt." The Twins finished together, staring at their brother, wondering how he could be so stupid.

* * *

Hariel marched to Professor Snape's office, intent on sorting this matter out. After all, what good was a broom like this, if it threw her off at neck-breaking speeds. Despite not being a broom-nerd, Hariel was simply itching to at least try the broom out. Maybe even keep it and join the Junior Racing Circuit in the summer.

But she wouldn't do anything with it until it was cleared for her safety. She stopped short of the door to her favourite teacher's office, wondering how to word her request. After all, Professor Snape hated liars (which Hariel found ironic) and Quidditch (which was completely understandable; James Potter was an amazing Chaser and had tormented Professor Snape when they were in school together.)

Shortly before she knocked on the door, Hermione caught up to her. Hariel knew the girl had been following her, but had no idea how close she was. She didn't stop, because she didn't want to delay.

The girls shared a glance, Hariel, a curious one and Hermione, a tentative one. The two friends hadn't exactly reconciled after the incident of Hermione learning what Hariel was studying after all.

"You could just be upfront," said Hermione, "doesn't Professor Snape hate Sirius Black?" Hariel thought for a moment. Every time the dark Potions Master mentioned Black or heard him mentioned, something _evil_ passed over his face. It seemed that Hariel's father was not the only one that Professor Snape hated.

"And he would relish at the chance to prove himself better than anyone," she said. She nodded at Hermione, "very well, I shall."

Before she could knock, however, Professor Snape opened the door.

"What do you want, Potter?" he asked, causing a small smile to cross Hariel's face, even as a frown crossed Hermione's. Hariel had always enjoyed the abrasive personality of the so-called 'Slytherin Vampire'.

"I was hoping you could cleanse this broom of any nasty surprises," she said, holding out the Firebolt, using the wrapping to protect herself.

"And how, pray tell," drawled the Potion Master, "did you acquire a Firebolt, Potter?" At this, Hariel grinned, before 'carefully' wording her answer.

"Oh, I thought Sirius Black might've sent it with a number of curses," she said, "and I was hoping you would be able to find and remove any on there, but if you can't..." She trailed of as Professor Snape snarled and snatched the broom, wrapping and all, from her hands.

"Come in, you impertinent girl," he said, before striding to an empty table and placing the Firebolt there. He quietly muttered while waving his wand over the broomstick. After a moment, he stepped away, with a slightly confused expression – though, it only lasted for a second – before he turned to Hariel.

"Are you trying to be funny, Miss Potter?" he asked, his voice dropping dangerously, "there are no curses on this broom." His eyes narrowed, but Hariel's wide-eyed expression of shock quickly calmed him.

"You were unaware," he said. He hummed, before giving Hariel the broom.

"I suppose it is a good thing that you have quit that infernal game," he said, "else Slytherin would have absolutely no chance to succeed now." Without another word, he left.

Hariel blinked, staring at the Firebolt, while Hermione gaped at the spot where Professor Snape had stood. She couldn't believe that a Hogwarts Professor acted so casually with his students.

Hariel's thoughts, however, were vastly different.

She still suspected that Sirius Black had sent the broom. But it was not cursed. Instead, it was in pristine condition. Hariel had a feeling there was something she was missing.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 _December 31 1994  
_ _Hogwarts_

Hariel sat in the common room, reading more of the various books she'd stolen from the restricted section. She was lucky that Hermione hadn't noticed, else there might've been a problem. Not that Hermione was much of a threat, but unnecessary conflict made things difficult.

She flicked through an interesting one called _Anima: The Potente Arte of the Soul_. Some of the empowering rituals were reasonable and concealable, while only demanding a low price. She slipped a piece of parchment into the book to mark her page, before closing it and turning to the diary.

 _Riddle? Any thoughts on a book called Anima?_ she asked, already frustrated with how tedious the task was. She would have to find some way to change the communication medium.

 _Anima? Well, it is certainly full of powerful rituals, however a great many of them require a very steep price_. Riddle's reply was hardly surprising, though she was pleased he knew of the book. She returned her gaze to the diary when more words formed. _In fact, it was a ritual in Anima that created me, though I do feel less created and more...trapped._

"Trapped..." Hariel muttered, "what could he mean by that?" For now, Hariel ignored it, finally stepping out of the Common Room, only to run into Professor Lupin.

"Hariel," he said, "I was looking for you." Hariel's relaxed expression morphed back into the cold visage that it was the last time the teacher and student met with each other. Hariel also couldn't help but remember his drunken words at the Hogs Head.

"Whatever for, Professor?" she asked, "I could've sworn I had handed in my homework." Professor Lupin laughed nervously, but began speaking.

"I've noticed the effect Dementors have on you," he said. Hariel stilled, remembering the dark, monstrous thing that brought back her worst nightmares. But she had long since read up on them. Indeed, she found it amusing that Professor Lupin had waited this long to approach her about it.

"There's no need, Professor," she said, "after all, _expecto_ _patronum_ is about the only spell that can be used as a suitable defence." And she also knew a spell that acted as a suitable offense. Obscure books from the Restricted Section made for fascinating reading. She brushed past the teacher and continued on her way. She had barely made it to the stairs when an arm grabbed hers. She knew who it was.

"Professor Lupin," she said, "if you do not remove your arm from my person, I will remove your arm from you." Her voice was cold, and Professor Lupin must have taken her threat somewhat seriously, as he quickly removed his arm. Hariel turned to face him with a fierce glare.

"I want to see your aptitude with the Patronus," he said, "after all, as a teacher it is my duty to see my students protected." Hariel sighed, knowing she might as well get it over with.

.

"As you seem to know," Professor Lupin said, "the Patronus charm is designed to act as a shield against creatures like Dementors." Hariel tilted her head slightly. That there was other creatures like dementors was news to her.

"What other creatures are there?" She asked. Professor Lupin smiled slightly, clearly glad to find something that the young witch didn't know.

"Well, of course, there are Lethifolds, which are only found in the tropics," he said, "though the major protection there is due to the Lethifold being susceptible to light. While the Patronus can harm Lethifolds, a simple lumos can ward it away long enough for you to flee."

"Interesting…" Hariel mused. Idly, she wondered how one would fare against the offensive spell she'd found.

"Additionally, the charm is highly effective against Shades, wolf like creatures that resemble living shadows. It can temporarily disperse the creatures form. And of course, any creature sensitive to light would be at least blinded by the Patronus. I've even heard of a Patronus so powerful, a Vampire reacted to it as he would the sun." With a smile, Professor Lupin stepped towards a large chest that was bolted shut and had several padlocks along the mouth. "In here, I have a Boggart. It was a challenge, but I think I managed to simulate a fear of Dementors powerful enough that it should take that form every time."

"But there's no guarantee?" Hariel asked. Professor Lupin shook his head. She sighed and raised her wand. "Go." With a silent wave of his hand, Lupin opened the chest and the clothed form of a Dementor rose from within. Hariel barely felt the tug of her emotions, significantly weak as it was. This pale reflection hardly compared to the true Dementors.

" _Expecto_ _patronum_ ," said Hariel, pulling on the memories of making obscure potions under the watchful eye of Professor Snape. Immediately, a white mist seeped from her wand, swirling into a shield, before solidifying and keeping the false Dementor back.

.

Remus stared in gleeful surprise as Hariel successfully cast a Patronus on the first attempt. When she made the claim that she knew what she was doing, he was doubtful. He fully expected her to fail the first time. But this was better than he could have hoped. He noticed, though, that her Patronus wasn't as bright as it should be, and that the false Dementor wasn't so much being held back as it was inching away.

"Well done, Hariel!" He said, "I am very impressed." The false Dementor retreated into the safety of the chest, and Remus closed it, locking it once again. Hariel rose an eyebrow at the creature's actions, but Remus explained: "its very likely the Boggart reacted like that because it was not a true Dementor. It couldn't understand what was happening and retreated to a safe place." Hariel hummed, pocketing her wand and staring at Remus with her – James' – brown eyes.

"What was my father's relationship with Sirius Black?" She asked. Remus sighed. He fully expected it to come up.

"When your father was a student, he had three friends. Myself, Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black. We were inseparable. Did everything together."

"Yes," Hariel said, sarcasm dripping from her voice, "including make a voyeuristic map that tracks all movement in the castle." Remus blinked in surprise.

"How did you know?" Hariel pulled out a familiar piece of parchment.

" _I solemnly swear that I am up to no good_ ," she said, and the map sprung to life, before Hariel continued speaking, "there are four personalities inside the map, likely enchanted to converse in some fashion after certain actions are taken. Messers Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. Surprisingly enough, Mister Moony sounds like I expect you would as a fifteen year old teenager." Remus was surprised at both the frankness of her explanation and at her deductive ability. Almost like that strange young Muggle he met in Sussex. What was his name? Shirley House?

Irrelevant. What was important right now, was answering Hariel's question properly.

"Sirius and your father…they were more than friends. They were brothers. They shared everything," Remus explained, "when your father got married, not only was Sirius the best-man, he was also the ring-bearer. And when you were born, he became your godfather." If only because…

"So they trusted him…and he turned on them? That doesn't make sense."

"What doesn't?"

"According to Professor Snape, my mother didn't trust blindly," Hariel explained, "and he knew that despite his own bias, my father wasn't a fool. So why would they trust someone who had the slightest chance of betraying them?"

Remus frowned, thinking it over as well. It did seem odd, but what other explanation was there? Especially after what happened to Peter…He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I don't know," he said, "all we can do is hope Black doesn't kill anyone else." Hariel nodded, and Remus suddenly realised the cold visage from before was gone, leaving her face much kinder than before.

"Thank you for your time, Professor," she said, "and for your honesty."

.

The walk back to the Gryffindor Common Room was longer than normal, on account of Hariel finding an out-of-the-way alcove and studying the Map for an hour. As she did, her thoughts kept returning to the situation with Sirius Black. It made no sense, not the way it played out, or the motivations for those involved, or even certain actions. With no evidence, Hariel was certain she'd never come to a conclusive explanation.

Why would Black spit on everything he had? Why would he turn on his brother in all but blood? And…why was Voldemort after her family? Hariel got the impression that it wasn't a random raid – surely the Dark Lord has better things to do than raid a single home. Therefore, they were targeted.

But…why? What made the Potters so special that Voldemort gave them his personal attention?

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw it. On the map, she saw the name.

 _Sirius Black_.

He was loitering by a hidden passage, and Hariel's mind leapt to dark thoughts about flaying him alive, blocking his veins one at a time and forcing him to breath low-grade acid, among other things. Given their respective positions, she could quite easily be there in minutes, her wand at the ready and curses on her tongue. She was even half-tempted to try the Cruciatus on the slime.  
She was on her feet, moving to go there when another name caught her eye.

 _Peter Pettigrew_.

Now that…that was _interesting_.


End file.
